Mix and match

Pros

Unlimited Cloud DVR included.

More channels included at the base price.

Cons

Higher base price

Available on fewer platforms.

Sling TV starts off costing less money, but most customers will go for the $40 tier to get access to all the channels they want. Sling is available on more hardware platforms, but the Cloud DVR costs extra and only lets you record 50 hours of content.

Pros

Offers cheaper plans.

A couple hardware bundles

Available on more platforms.

Cons

Cloud DVR costs extra, limited to 50 hours.

Some channels only available as extras.

At the end of the day, the service you pick should be based on the channels you want to watch. Sling TV offers three different tiers with different channels included, while YouTube TV has just one tier. Premium channels like Starz and Showtime can be added to either service for an additional price.

Where do they work?

Platforms

YouTube TV

Sling TV

iOS

Yes

Yes

Apple TV

Yes

Yes

Roku

Yes

Yes

Fire TV

No

Yes

Android

Yes

Yes

Chromecast

Yes

Yes

Android TV

Yes

Yes

Xbox One

Yes

Yes

Web

Yes

Yes

AirTV

Yes

Yes

LG Smart TVs

Yes

Yes

Samsung Smart TVs

Yes

Yes

How do they compare?

Sling and YouTube TV are adding new channels all the time, and the local channels they offer will come down to where you live. That's something to consider already when you're trying to choose bwtween the two services. Further, which service you choose will come down to which shows you want to watch. Sling is more flexible than the competition since it offers two smaller tiers, each with certain channels, so you can potentially pay less so you don't get unnecessary channels. However, if you want shows from both of the smaller tiers, the big tier offers all of those channels for the same $40 that YouTube TV costs.

Sling also offers a wealth of different add on packages that can be added to any of the tiers. These packages are focused on news, sports, or kid-friendly channels, so you can supplement your listings based on current needs. YouTube TV includes some of these packages in its base price, adding another factor to consider when choosing what channels you need and which service you should get.

YouTube TV is definitely the simpler option of the two.

In terms of other features, YouTube TV has the distinct advantage thanks to its free cloud DVR. With Sling, the cloud DVR costs an extra $5 per month, and you only get 50 hours of recordings. That sounds like a lot, but it can fill up quickly. Meanwhile, the DVR comes included in YouTube TV's base price, and you get unlimited recordings. You can keep recordings for nine months, but that's likely to be more manageable than trying to stay under that 50 hours Sling gives you.

However, where YouTube TV falls behind is in hardware support. Sling is on all the same platforms that YouTube TV is, but adds in Fire TV. If you've already got a house full of Amazon's streaming devices, or are looking to add a Fire TV to your device collection, Sling may be a better option.

YouTube TV is definitely the simpler option of the two. For a flat $40/month rate, you get a set number of channels and unlimited cloud DVR. With Sling, you have to consider what channels you'll use and if it's a better deal than YouTube TV. There's also the matter of that DVR and if you can deal with only 50 hours of storage. YouTube TV is the best deal for most people, but if you don't need a lot of channels or use Amazon devices, Sling is also worth a look.

Save some dough

If you only need a few channels, Sling TV could end up being a bit less expensive than YouTube TV. You don't get the cloud DVR for free, but even if you need that, the base price is still lower than the competition.